Device for producing vibrato in musical instruments



Aug. 23, 1966 C. R. DE JOHN ETAL DEVICE FOR PRODUCING VIBRATO IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Feb. 13 1964' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 VI III/I! III III/I l/IrI/r/YI/f/II/ 1/ ll Ban //l///////// III/ I I j/ //l Ill/Ill] INVENTORS CHARLES R. DE dOHN uuuus VANARELL! WW6? ATTORNEY g- 1966 c. R. DE JOHN ETAL 3,267,790

DEVICE FOR PRODUCING VIBRATO IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Feb. 13, 1964' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flmr 1 INVENTORS CHARLES R. DE JOHN BY 5, JULIUS VANAQELLI AT TO RN EY United States Patent M Filed Feb. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 344,739 3 Claims. (Cl. 84-313) This inventon relates to a simple and inexpensive device for producing vibrato in a musical instrument of the smaller type, such for example as accordions, guitars, banjos, violins, etc.

The dictionary defines the word vibrato as a slightly tremulous or pulsating cited for adding warmth and beauty to a tone, or for expressing changes in emotional intensity. By long practice, vibrato can be manually produced in different types of musical instruments, but it imposes great strain on the fingers and on the hand as a whole and so cannot be long sustained. Being a desir able effect, there is a demand for a simple and inexpensive device for producing vibrato, thus avoiding the long practice and mentioned hand strain and affording means for sustaining the effect indefinitely. The device of the invention comprises motive means, vibratory means actuated by the motive means, means for changing the frequency of vibration, thereby to change the quality of virbato, means for changing the amplitude of vibration, and preferably a casing for the device, the casing to be attached directly or indirectly to any suitable part of a musical instrument.

The drawings illustrate the invention, and in these:

FIG. 1 is an eleva-tional view of one form of the device shown within a casing which is in section;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the components of the device shown in FIG. 1 with the addition of a resistor and a switch;

FIG. 3 is a modified form showing part of a musical instrument with a spring attached thereto and the casing of the device mounted on the spring;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a piano accordion to which is attached the device with its casing;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of part of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modified means of effecting vibrato; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description, one form of the invention therein comprises a casing 7 which contains the operational components of the device, which casing is shown in FIG. 4 as secured by vacuum cups 8 to a piano accordion 9. The device as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 comprises a miniature electric motor 10. The power of the motor may be one one-hundredth horse power, to run at from 400 to 1000 rpm, and it weighs about 3.5 ounces. FIG. 1 shows the motor held horizontal and elevated by an upright clamp 12 which is attached to the bottom of the casing. The motor has a shaft 13 to one end of which is affixed a rod 14. The rod is bent so that a weight 15 may be slidably mounted thereon eccentrically relative to the shaft, a screw 16 being provided to hold the weight in a desired position on the rod. In FIG. 5, the rod passes centrally through the weight, but the weight may be eccentrically mounted on the rod as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. By changing the posi- 3,267,790 Patented August 23, 1966 tion of the weight along the rod, or the mass of the weight itself, the frequency of vibration and therefore the quality of vibrato may be changed. As shown in the diagram of FIG. 2, the motor may be run from a dry cell 18 of 1.5 volts through wires, one of which includes a variable resistor 20, a switch 21 being included. The resistor is used to change the speed of the motor and therefore the rate of vibration, to alter the quality of vibrato. Weight 15 is from 5-10 grams.

Referring to FIG. 3, a spring 23 is attached at one end to the accordion 9 by a screw 24, the spring being somewhat flexible and bent at an angle away from the instrument. The casing 7 in which the device is contained is secured to the spring. To change the frequency of vibration of the spring, and thereby the frequency at which the instrument is vibrated, a thumbscrew 25 threadedly engages the spring in passing therethrough, with its inner end bearing against the instrument. A spring 27 is coiled around the screw between the spring and the instrument and its inner end bears against the latter and exerting an outward pressure against the spring. By loosening or tightening the thumbscrew, the frequency of vibration of the spring and therefore of the casing may be altered in order to modify the quality of vibrato.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show another means by which vibrato is effected and by which the frequency may be changed. In these views, the casing 7 containing the device first described has lugs 35 attached to its ends. Wing nuts 37 pass threadedly through said lugs and into the instrument 9 or more or less loosely attach the casing to the instrument, the latter being thereby vibrated at different frequencies, depending on how tightly the wing nuts are screwed down.

What is claimed is:

1. A vibrato producing device for connection to an accordian comprising an electric motor, said motor having a shaft, an eccentric weight connected to' the shaft, a rigid casing, said motor weight being mounted within said casing, mounting means for said casing, said mounting means including a resilient member, said resilient member being adapted to be fixedly secured to the musical instrument.

2. The vibrato producing device of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes at least two separate members, said resilient member being fixedly secured to said rigid casing, and a second member adapted to be fixedly secured to the musical instrument and, further, including means thereon for interconnecton with said resilient member. 7

3.-The vibrato producing device of claim 2 wherein said resilient member is a metal strip, said second member including a second resilient member, said metal strip being connected to said second resilient member to provide a completely resilient connection between said rigid casing and said musical instrument.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,133,012 10/1938 Bolster 84-3762 2,457,886 1/ 1949 Gerber 84-376.2 

1. A VIBRATO PRODUCING DEVICE FOR CONNECTION TO AN ACCORDIAN COMPRISING AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, SAID MOTOR HAVING A SHAFT, AN ECCENTRIC WEIGHT CONNECTED TO THE SHAFT, A RIGID CASING, SAID MOTOR WEIGHT BEING MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CASING, MOUNTING MEANS FOR SAID CASING, SAID MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING A RESILIENT MEMBER, SAID RESILIENT MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. 